U.S. patent application number 10/293125 was filed with the patent office on 2003-12-25 for electrical card connector with end position switch.
Invention is credited to Hu, Lun Song, Yu, Zhi Nong.
Application Number | 20030236013 10/293125 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29213707 |
Filed Date | 2003-12-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030236013 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hu, Lun Song ; et
al. |
December 25, 2003 |
ELECTRICAL CARD CONNECTOR WITH END POSITION SWITCH
Abstract
An electrical card connector (700) has a housing (2) and an end
position switch (3). The end position switch includes a first
spring contact (31) and a second spring contact (32). The first and
second spring contacts respectively have body portions (313, 323),
and contact arms (314, 324) extending from the body portions. The
first spring contact has a resilient contact portion (312)
slantways extending from the body portion. The second spring
contact has a guide portion (318) extending downwardly from the
contact arm. When an electrical card is inserted into the
connector, the contact arm of the first spring contact moves onto
and contacts with the contact arm of the second spring contact
along the guide portion of the second spring contact.
Inventors: |
Hu, Lun Song; (Kunshan,
CN) ; Yu, Zhi Nong; (Kunshan, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WEI TE CHUNG
FOXCONN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
1650 MEMOREX DRIVE
SANTA CLARA
CA
95050
US
|
Family ID: |
29213707 |
Appl. No.: |
10/293125 |
Filed: |
November 12, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/188 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 13/7033 20130101;
H01R 29/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
439/188 |
International
Class: |
H01R 029/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 20, 2002 |
TW |
091209265 |
Claims
What we claim is:
1. A connector assembly, comprising: a housing having a rear wall
and defining a receiving space for receiving an inserted card; a
first contact mounted in the rear wall, the first contact having a
resilient contact portion, the resilient contact portion extending
into the receiving space; and a second contact mounted in the rear
wall; wherein the first contact extends away from the second
contact and is located at a first position in which the first and
second contacts are electrically separated from each other, and a
second position in which the first and second contacts are
electrically contacted upon when the inserted card acts upon the
resilient contact portion of the first contact.
2. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear
wall of the housing has an opening, the second contact are received
in the opening.
3. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear
wall of the housing defines a first cavity and a notch
communicating with the first cavity, the first contact has a first
fixing portion and an engaging portion respectively received in the
first cavity and the notch.
4. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first
fixing portion and the engaging portion of the first contact are in
an L-shaped configuration.
5. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first
fixing portion of the first contact forms a plurality of barbs
engaging with the rear wall of the housing.
6. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear
wall of the housing defines a second cavity, the second contact has
a second fixing portion received in the second cavity of the
housing.
7. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second
fixing portion of the second contact forms a plurality of barbs
engaging with the rear wall of the housing.
8. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first
and second contacts respectively have a first and second body
portions, and a first and second contact arms respectively
extending from the first and second body portions.
9. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first
contact arm of the first contact extends horizontally and
rearwardly from the first body portion.
10. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the
resilient contact portion of the first contact extends slantways
from the first body portion.
11. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the
second contact has a guide portion extending forwardly and
downwardly from the second contact arm thereof.
12. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear
wall of the housing defines a pair of grooves, and the first and
second contacts respectively have a first and second soldering
portions received in corresponding grooves.
13. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear
wall of the housing has an insulative portion for separating the
first and second contacts.
14. A connector assembly, comprising: a housing having a rear rim
at rear end thereof; a plurality of terminals disposed in the
housing; a first contact having a first body portion, a first
resilient contact portion extending from the first body portion,
and a first contact arm extending from the first body portion; a
second contact having a second body portion, a second resilient
contact portion extending from the body portion, and a guide
portion bending from the resilient contact portion; wherein the
first resilient contact portion can be urged by an inserted card so
that the first contact arm of the first contact moves onto and
electrically contacts with the second contact arm of the second
spring contact along the guide portion of the second contact.
15. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the
first and second contacts have fixing portions extending from the
body portions thereof, the rear rim of the housing defines a pair
of cavities respectively receiving the fixing portions of the first
and second spring contacts.
16. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the
first spring contact has an engaging portion bending substantially
perpendicular to the first fixing portion thereof.
17. An electrical assembly comprising: a housing; a plurality of
terminals disposed in the housing; first and second switch contacts
located around a rear portion of said housing, an electronic card
moveable relative to the housing along back-and-forth directions;
said first switch contact defining a first deflectable pivotal body
portion adapted to be moveable relative to the housing in generally
said back-and-forth directions, a first contact arm and a contact
portion located around an end portion of said first deflectable
pivotal body portion; said second switch contact defining a second
deflectable pivotal body portion adapted to be moveable relative to
the housing in generally up-and-down directions perpendicular to
said back-and-forth directions, a second contact arm located around
an end portion of said second deflectable pivotal body portion;
wherein upon engagement between a front edge of the electronic card
and the contact portion of the first switch contact, the first body
portion of the first switch contact is deflected so as to deflect
the second body portion of the second switch contact due to
engagement between the first contact arm and the second contact
arm.
18. The assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the engagement
between said electronic card and said contact portion occurs
constantly at a same position of the front edge of said electronic
card.
19. An end position switch for being used in an electrical
connector, comprising: a first spring contact, having a first body
portion, a first fixing portion extending from one end of the first
body portion, an engaging portion bending from the first fixing
portion, a first resilient contact portion extending from another
end of the first body portion, and a contact arm extending
horizontally from the first body portion; and a second spring
contact, having a second body portion, a second fixing portion
extending from one end of the second body portion, a second
resilient contact portion extending from another end of the second
body portion, and a guide portion bending forwardly and downwardly
from the second resilient contact portion; wherein the first
resilient contact portion can be urged so that the first contact
arm of the first contact moves onto and contacts with the second
contact arm of the second spring contact along the guide portion of
the second contact.
20. The end position switch as claimed in claim 19, wherein the
engaging portion of the second spring contact bends substantially
perpendicular to the first fixing portion of the second spring
contact.
21. The end position switch as claim in claim 19, wherein the first
and second spring contacts respectively have a plurality of tabs
protruding downwardly from the first and second fixing portions
thereof.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is related to, U.S. patent applications
entitled "CARD CONNECTOR HAVING LOW PROFILE", and "ELECTRICAL CARD
CONNECTOR WITH SPRING SWITCH", and assigned to the common
assignee.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an electrical connector,
and more particular to a card edge connector assembly having an end
position switch to detect full insertion of an electrical card
received therein.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Generally, an electrical card or chip card as presently used
contains recording media in the card itself. This recording media
or intelligence is typically in the form of a memory circuit that
contains read only memory (ROM) or read/write memory (random access
memory, RAM). The information stored in the read only memory or
read/write memory then is used by card reader or card interface
device to detect certain information. An electrical connector for
receiving such an electrical card or chip card often has an end
position switch indicating whether the card is fully inserted.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,273, issued to Pemet on Feb. 13, 1990,
discloses a conventional card connector which has an end-of-stroke
contact. The end-of-stroke contact of Pemet has a moving blade and
a fixed contact. Before an electrical card is inserted into the
connector, the end-of-stroke contact is in a closed position, and a
bearing surface of the fixed contact resiliently contacts the
shaped contact surface of the moving blade. When the electrical
card is fully inserted into the connector, an edge of the card
pushes a retaining finger of the moving blade, so that the shaped
contact surface is pushed away from bearing surface of the fixed
contact, and the end-of-strode contact is from the closed position
to an open position to indicate the card is fully inserted.
[0007] However, too much deformation exerted on the moving blade of
the end-of-stroke contact by insertions of the card will result in
overwork of the moving blade, and the closed position of the
end-of-stroke contact prior to the card being inserted into the
connector is demolished. As a result, the electrical connector can
not exactly indicate whether the card has been fully inserted.
[0008] Hence, an improved electrical connector with an improved end
position switch to indicate the full insertion of an electrical
card is needed to solve the above problems.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A main object of the present invention is to provide an
electrical card connector having an improved end position switch to
extend the life thereof.
[0010] To fulfill the above-mentioned object, an electrical card
connector of present invention has a housing and an end position
switch located in a rear part of the housing, The end position
switch is triggered by an electrical card inserted into the
connector. The end position switch is normally in an open position,
and includes a first spring contact and a second spring contact.
The first spring contact is secured in front of the second spring
contact. The first and second spring contacts respectively have
body portions, fixing portions extending from ends of the body
portions, soldering portions extending from the fixing portions for
soldering the first and second spring contacts to a printed circuit
board (PCB), and contact arms extending from free ends of the body
portions. The first spring contact has a resilient contact portion
slantways extending from the body portion. The second spring
contact has a guide portion extending downwardly from the contact
arm thereof. When the electrical card is inserted into the
connector, the resilient contact portion is pushed by the card, and
the contact arm of the first spring contact moves onto and contacts
the contact arm of the second spring contact. Thus, circuit traces
on the PCB are electrically connected through the contact arms of
the first and second spring contacts to indicate whether the card
is inserted fully.
[0011] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an electrical connector in
accordance with the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1, with the shield not
assembled to the housing.
[0014] FIG. 3 is an assembled view of FIG. 1.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the end position switch in
accordance with the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a top view of the end position switch assembled in
the electrical connector before a card is inserted into the
electrical connector.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a top view of the end position switch assembled in
the electrical connector after the card is inserted into the
electrical connector.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, an electrical connector 700
of present invention has a shield 1, a housing 2, an end position
switch 3, and an ejector 4. The shield 1 has a plurality of
openings 11. The housing 2 has a pair of peripheral rims 24, 26,
and a rear rim 21 respectively extending around the two sides and
partially along a rear portion of a upper surface 27 of the housing
2. The peripheral rims 24, 26 and the rear rim 21 have a plurality
of locking tabs 261 for respectively engaging with the openings 11
of the shield 1. The shield 1 and the housing 2 together define a
receiving lot 20 for receiving an electrical card (not shown). The
ejector 4 of the electrical connector 700 has a slider 41, a
sliding contact 42, a spring 43 and a rotating shaft 44.
[0019] The electrical connector 700 has a plurality of terminals 5
mounted in the housing 2. The terminals 5 are resilient and each
has a soldering section 51 for soldering to a printed circuit board
(PCB, not shown), and a contacting section 52 extending above the
upper surface 27 of the housing 2 for engaging a corresponding
contact pad on the electrical card, so that data can be read from
or written into the electrical card by smart interface circuitry in
a known way.
[0020] The electrical connector 700 has a relief contact 23 mounted
on the peripheral rim 24 of the housing 1. The relief contact 23
has a contacting part 231 normally extending above the upper
surface 27 of the housing 2 in the receiving slot 20. The relief
contact 23 is for detecting if a protect switch of the inserted
card is in a write-protect position. Detailed structure of the
relief contact 23 is disclosed in pending U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 09/876,770, so further description is omitted herein.
[0021] The spring switch 3 has a first spring contact 31 and a
second spring contact 32. The rear rim 21 of the housing 1 has a
pair of cavities 210, 213, a pair of grooves 211, 214 communicating
with corresponding cavities 210, 213, and a notch 212 in
communication with the cavity 210. The cavity 213 and the groove
214 are shaped for receiving the second spring contact 32. The
first spring contact 31 and the second spring contact 32 are
positioned in the rear rim 21 and separated by an insulative
portion 215 of the rear rim 21. The first spring contact 31 is
secured in front of the second contact 32. The rear rim 21 also
defines a second opening 216 in substantially middle portion
thereof.
[0022] Referring to FIGS. 4-6, the first spring contact 31
comprises a body portion 313, a resilient contact portion 312
slantways extending from a free end of the body portion 313, and a
contact arm 314 extending adjacent to the resilient contact portion
312 for contacting the second spring contact 32. The contact arm
314 extends horizontally and rearwardly from the resilient contact
portion 312 and bends slightly and upwardly at a free end thereof.
The body portion 313 of the first spring contact 31 has a fixing
portion 310 extending from an opposite end thereof, and a soldering
portion 311 bending rearwardly from a bottom edge of the fixing
portion 310 for soldering the first spring contact 31 to the PCB.
The fixing portion 310 of the first spring contact 31 has an
engaging portion 318 extending therefrom and perpendicular thereto.
The first spring contact 31 has a barb 316 protruding downwardly
from the fixing portion 310. The second spring contact 32 has a
body portion 323, a contact arm 324 extending horizontally from a
free end of the body portion 323, and a guide portion 325 forwardly
and downwardly bending from the contact arm 324. The second spring
contact 32 has a fixing portion 320 extending substantially
perpendicular to the body portion 323, a pair of barbs 326
protruding downwardly from the fixing portion 320, and a soldering
portion 321 bending rearwardly from a bottom edge of the fixing
portion 320. The soldering portion 321 of the second spring contact
32 secures the second spring contact 32 onto the PCB.
[0023] In assembly, the ejector 4 is assembled to the peripheral
rim 26 of the housing 2. The fixing portions 310, 320 of the first
and second spring contacts 31, 32 are respectively received in the
cavities 210, 213. The barbs 316, 326 of the spring contacts 31, 32
in the cavities 210, 213 abut against the rear rim 21 of the
housing 2. The soldering portions 311, 321 of the first and second
spring contacts 31, 32 respectively extend out of the rear rim 21
of the housing 2 through the grooves 211, 214. The engaging portion
318 of the first spring contact 31 engages with the notch 212 of
the rear rim 21 of the housing 2. The second spring contact 32
extends into the second opening 216 of the rear rim 21 of the
housing 2, and the first spring contact 31 extends into the
receiving slot 20 of the housing 2 and extending away from the
second spring contact 32. Thus the first spring contact 31 is
secured in front of the second spring contact 32, and the first and
second spring contacts 31, 32 are separated by the insulative
portion 215 of the housing 2.
[0024] In use, the first spring contact 31 is not contacting with
the second spring contact 32 before the electrical card is inserted
into the electrical connector 700. When the electrical card is
inserted into the electrical connector 700, the electrical card
pushes the resilient contact portion 312 of the first spring
contact 31, so that the body portion 313 of the first spring
contact 31 is deflected rearwardly and the contact arm 314 then
moves along the guide portion 325 and onto the contact arm 324 of
the second spring contact 32. Thus, the first spring contact 31 and
the second spring contact 32 contact with each other, and the state
of the end position switch 3 is ON to indicate that the electrical
card is inserted fully into the electrical connector 700. The
ejector 4 works in a known way to eject the electrical card when
the card needs to be ejected out of the electrical connector
700.
[0025] An advantage of the present invention over the prior art is
that the spring contacts 31, 32 of the end position switch 3 are
received in the rear rim 21 of the housing 2 and separated by the
insulative portion 215. The second spring contact 32 has the guide
portion 325, which leads the contact arm 314 of the first spring
contact 31 to move onto the contact arm 324 and contact with the
contact arm 324 of the second spring contact 32. Thus the end
position switch 3 has more flexibility, and may not be destroyed
after a period of use.
[0026] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been
set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of
the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is
illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in
matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the
principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the
broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
expressed.
* * * * *